[Gregoriak]

Alright, all World Cup games up to 1966 - if available - are only in black-and-white, however I have seen footage of various 1966 World Cup games in bright colour in documentaries. But the actual games, if you watch 'em in full length, they are always in standard b&w. Does anybody know the background story to that? If the BBC had colour television by 1966, why are not all 1966 games viewable in colour today? If they come from the BBC archive, they should be in colour, shouldn't they? So why are they in black and white?

[Excape Goat]

I believed they used modern technology to add colors to the film. That technology came in the 1980s. I believed they even made a colored version of the movie Casablanca. My HS teacher who was a fan of the movie was damn pissed. Seriously, I think I recalled reading something similiar to WC story.

[Gregoriak]

That thought crossed my mind, too, but today I have seen a German "Football History" documentary from 1974, and it featured coloured footage of Portugal-Brazil, North Korea-Italy and England-West Germany, all from 1966. Unfortunately I had nothing to tape it. These games must be available in colour somewhere. It was awesome watching that footage, really fresh looking. I know even parts of the 1954 World Cup final were filmed in colour (not colourized later). Thankfully I have that footage (it was shown on German TV in 2004 due to the 50th anniversary).

[FunfzuEins2001]

They are colourized later. BBC did not shoot in colour in 1966, for a start this would have been seen as a little pointless, as all televisions were black and white. Colour transmissions began in 1967, but only really took hold in 1969

(not to do with the 1966WC, but still a cool little story: http://www.focalint.org/machinerm_may04.htm)

[Gregoriak]

Maybe they were testing the technology in 1966. If they colorized it later, it would have had to be done by 1974, as the documentary I watched with that colour footage dates back to that year. But what would the point have been to colourize 1966 World Cup games in the early seventies? It was old news by then and not historically relevant as it was fairly recent.

Anyway, colourized or not, this footage is awesome and I wonder why it is so rarely shown.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

It's tainted by the stench of cheating.


I agree with you though Gregoriak. The colour version is far superior.

[Disco Dale]

The 1966 World Cup final was televised live in Black and White... however any footage you have seen in colour was not "colourised", it was shot (in colour) on film, and released (in cinemas) as a film later that year, called "Goal!" - highly original title, hey? Goal! World Cup 1966

[Disco Dale]

I ought to point out that I have seen bits of the film, and as Gregoriak it is awesome... really refreshing to see, and also Brain Glanville is always a treat to listen to...

[Gregoriak]

Thanks for solving the mystery!

They must have taped these games in full length then.

[rangers00]

Originally Posted by Disco Dale

The 1966 World Cup final was televised live in Black and White... however any footage you have seen in colour was not "colourised", it was shot (in colour) on film, and released (in cinemas) as a film later that year, called "Goal!" - highly original title, hey? Goal! World Cup 1966

Notice in Goal, all the games footage were in black and white except the final.